It’s true that skimping on sleep can have a negative impact on your morning. But sleepiness may not be the only explanation for your headache, lack of concentration and lingering fatigue. Caffeine withdrawal may also be to blame. Why? Simply put, many of us are addicted to our morning cup o' Joe. Whether you want to believe it or not, caffeine is a stimulant drug. So when you go without, you can experience unpleasant withdrawal symptoms.

Upwards of 90% of Americans drink at least one cup of fully caffeinated coffee daily, making caffeine the most used and socially acceptable stimulant drug of all. It’s up to you to decide if caffeine is OK for you. But if you decide to crush your coffee habit, take it slow.

Start by reducing the number of cups of coffee you have daily until you get down to just one cup. Then, partially dilute your cup of regular strength coffee with decaffeinated coffee, shifting the balance to more and more decaf as each day goes by. Within one or two weeks, your cup should be entirely decaffeinated.

Slowly easing into a caffeine-free lifestyle will help you avoid the pounding headaches and annoying withdrawal symptoms that will otherwise plague you. If you’re not ready to completely give up your caffeine habit, you should at least consider reducing your intake.